Best Free Proxy List For 2019 – Working Proxy Servers

What is a Proxy?

A Proxy server is a server which acts as a middleman between your computer and the website you’re browsing. A free proxy redirects your internet traffic so that your online data appears to be coming from somewhere else rather than your actual location. For instance, you’re located in London and you are trying to access a website that is geo-restricted to people online located in the US. In such a scenario, you can connect to a Proxy server located in the US then access the same website. Your online traffic will appear to come from a remote server and not your own computer.

How to use the proxy?

Free proxy is best for a low-stake task like bypassing IP-based restrictions on websites and servers, watching geo-restricted content, or circumvent simple content filters. However, they are only limited to browsers and you can use them on other apps and platforms.

Setting up a Proxy varies from browser to browser. Settings for Internet Explorer might differ from that of Firefox and Google Chrome.

Here is how you can setup a free proxy on different browsers:

Google Chrome Proxy configuration

Click the Customize and Control Button(Button with three horizontal dots) from the top right corner

Select Settings

In the Setting tab, click the Menu dash button from the top left corner and select System

Select LAN Settings

Under proxy server, Check the “Use a proxy server for your LAN” box

Enter the Server IP Address and the Port Number

Click OK

FireFox Proxy configuration

Click the Open Menu Button (3 vertical lines) from the top right corner

Internet Explorer Proxy configuration

What is the proxy anonymity?

The primary and only purpose of a Proxy server is to hide your IP address and route your internet traffic from a server from a different location. Due to this, a free proxy is only best for low-stake task and not high-stake tasks. They don’t encrypt your online traffic and offer no privacy or security. Anyone with access to the same network as you can snoop your online traffic. Moreover, certain exploits like JavaScript or Flash in your internet browser can disclose your true identity.

These aspects make free proxy not suitable for complex tasks like encrypting your online traffic or securing your device at a public Wi-Fi hotspot.

What is HTTPS / SSL proxy?

HTTP and SSL are the two most common proxy server protocols and both have different functionalities.

HTTP Proxy

HTTP Proxy is the oldest type of proxy. It is only used for web-based traffic. Once you have the proxy configured on your web browser, all your online traffic will get redirected through the remote proxy. For instance, you can connect to a proxy server to access geo-restricted content, but you cannot do the same if you are accessing sensitive data like your email or bank information. As proxies don’t encrypt your internet traffic, you can only keep your data away from trouble is by not accessing any of it when using the HTTP proxy.

SSL Proxy

SSL proxy, on the other hand, is a more advanced proxy that performs SSL encryption and decryption between the server and the client. This way neither the client nor the server will be able to detect each other. SSL proxy is also used to control HTTPS traffic to apply some level of security and performance enhancement to your web content.

What is a Google proxy?

A Google Proxy is a proxy server that runs through google applications. This type of proxy allows the user to access any website without their original IP address being logged by the website; instead, Google’s own IPs will be logged. However, this doesn’t mean you will become anonymous. Google will record all the information related to your use of its proxy server, and sometimes give such information to third parties.

What is a VPN?

A VPN or Virtual Private Network does the same as a free proxy, but more. It not only hides your IP address and makes it appear as if it is coming from another location, but it also enhances the security of your internet connection. Unlike a free proxy, which acts as a middleman for browsers to route your traffic, a VPN encrypts your online traffic with military-grade encryption (most do) and redirect it through its secure VPN servers that are a location in another region/country.

This makes a VPN the ideal choice for high-stake tasks where security and privacy are important. When using a VPN, your ISP, government surveillance, and snoopers can’t intercept your online traffic. A VPN is especially great for accessing your financial data, emails, and securing your home Wi-Fi networks from any kind of malicious attacks.

VPN vs Proxy

While a free proxy will stop websites from disclosing your IP address, it won’t offer any kind of data encryption. The website may still receive some kind of information about you from the proxy server through which it can identify you. All a proxy does is it comes in between you and the website to hide your real location and give you access to the website. Further, a free proxy can only be used via browsers, meaning that your IP is hidden only when you are using the proxy-enabled browser.

With a VPN, the connection between you and the website is secured with high-level encryption and your IP is hidden from the world, this means no one can see your online activities and your online traffic. Moreover, a VPN can be used on multiple devices and doesn’t require a particular browser. There are more benefits of using a VPN over proxy services, like anonymous torrenting, unblock Netflix, etc., but I think these are enough to convince you why it is better than a free proxy.

VPNs & Proxies Are Not The Same

A free proxy can be great if you are trying to access certain websites that are geo-restricted in your country or access restricted streams, but you cannot use it to perform high-stake tasks like doing a bank transaction at a public Wi-FI or torrenting. For such tasks, it is better to use a VPN service. There is a whole industry of VPN services out there, and you can choose one according to your needs and budget, but beware, never go for a free VPN, they are same as a proxy; no security and anonymity over the web.